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NFL updates: San Francisco player suspended

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SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was suspended nine games without pay on Friday for violating the NFL’s Policy and Program for Substance of Abuse and the league’s Personal Conduct Policy.

Smith can return in Week 11 against the New York Giants, as the 49ers have a Week 8 bye.

In July, Smith was sentenced to 11 days in jail and three years’ probation on weapons and DUI charges, leading to this most recent suspension.

Smith voluntarily took a leave of absence from the 49ers last year to seek help for a substance abuse problem, missing five games.

He has been one of the NFL’s elite pass rushers since being drafted No. 7 overall by the 49ers in 2011. He has 42 sacks in just three seasons, but has had numerous run-ins with the law.

Barth, 28, missed the entire 2013 season due to an Achilles injury. He holds Tampa Bay records for single-season field goal percentage (92.9 in 2011) and most consecutive field-goal attempts made with 25.

The move leaves Patrick Murray to handle the field goal and kickoff duties. He signed with the Bucs back in January after going undrafted out of Fordham.

Smallwood was selected by the Falcons in the seventh round of this year’s draft.

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Bengals axe prolific rusher

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals have released running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

Green-Ellis started all 16 games for the Bengals last season, rushing for 756 yards and seven touchdowns. In two seasons with Cincinnati, he rushed for 1,850 yards and 13 scores, starting all 31 regular-season games he appeared in.

Over six NFL seasons, Green-Ellis has 3,914 yards and 42 touchdowns rushing. He spent his first four seasons in the league with the New England Patriots.

NEW YORK — Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson has been suspended for the first three games of the 2014 season for again violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

Simpson will be eligible to return following the team’s Week 3 contest against New Orleans.

It will be Simpson’s second suspension in the past three years. He was also banned for three games in 2012, his first year with the Vikings, following a guilty plea to a felony drug charge.

In September 2011, when Simpson played for Cincinnati, police confiscated a package containing 2 1/2 pounds of marijuana that was being shipped from California to Simpson’s Kentucky home.

The latest suspension stems from a DWI arrest last November.

Simpson had 48 catches for a career-high 726 yards and one touchdown in 16 games, including eight starts, last season. He has 145 receptions for 2,004 yards and eight scores in six seasons with Cincinnati and Minnesota.

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